The Ultimatum is Delivered: 23 July 1914

Baron Giesl, the Austro-Hungarian ambassador to Serbia, details the delivery of the ultimatum .

Baron von Giesl to Count Berchtold. Vienna, 23 July 1914.

Ultimatum.

Premier ad interim Pacu after some hesitation conceded a conversation for 6 o’clock, and received me at the striking of the clock. Secretary-General Gruic was with him, because Pacu does not know French.

I gave him the note and added that the term for the answer had been fixed for Saturday at 6 p. m. and that if by that time I had received no answer or an unsatisfactory one, I should leave Belgrade with the entire legation; that at the same time as the answer, I wished to receive the Servian translation of both enunciations, which we were desirous to compare.

Pacu, without reading the note, answered that the elections were being carried, on and some of the ministers were absent from Belgrade. He feared it would be physically impossible to assemble a complete council of ministers in time
for taking, what he must believe to be an important decision.

The council of ministers had been assembled ever since 5 o’clock. I answered that in our age of railways, telegraphs and telephones and the diminutive size of the country, it could only be a question of a few hours to assemble the ministers, and that in the forenoon I had advised to inform Herr Pasic. But this was an internal Servian concern, that I had no right to judge. Nothing more was discussed.